April Color Challenge

This month's color is purple and the bird is the HoneyCreeper.

For the pattern and block instructions, head on over to 

Jen's blog - Patterns by Jen

This is a beautiful bird, but unfortunately it does not live near me. It's home is in the lowlands and foothills of northern South America. Maybe I should plan a trip so I can see this for myself. I speak enough Spanish that I could get around ok. :-) 

This is a very small bird that has a quite long curved bill and beautiful yellow legs. The male is predominately blue-indigo with a black mask over its eyes, a black throat, and black wings. 

The female is beautiful in her own right. She is mostly green with pale streakings on the underside, has a buffy-brown face, and a blue mustache stripe. Just like her male counterpart, she has a curved bill.

You can hear their beautiful sound HERE. 

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I've used purple in a few of my projects. Sometimes it's a main fabric, but mostly it's an accent or binding. 

Straight and Easy Table Runner

Hearts Abound

Going Up

Hoop Quilt

Hoop Quilt

Hypersonic

Hypersonic

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Back to the Color Challenge - Here are my fabrics!

I bought the purple at Once Upon a Quilt in Ft. Lauderdale when I was there in December. Oh, how I wish I was there now. I'm a little tired of the rain here in Ohio. 

All of my pieces are cut...

and the units are sewn.

These blocks are easy to sew and so much fun when they are complete. 

I have been taking pictures of the two blocks offset a little, which I like, but check out what they look like right next to each other.

I like that look too.  :-) 

Remember to go to Jen's blog to pick up this month's block instructions. Be sure to check out our sponsors and all the awesome prizes available. 

Also, be sure to check out the bloggers for this month. I think you'll enjoy seeing all the different fabrics people are using. :-) 

Patterns by Jen

Ky Whittaker Creations

Kathy's Kwilts and More

Purple Moose Designs

Faith and Fabric

Home Sewn By Us

Hands2Help 2020

It's time for the annual Hands2Help Comfort Quilt Challenge!

I've participated in this challenge for a number of years now and have enjoyed it every time. Sarah, over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict is just wonderful and tremendously organized. She has secured prizes for participants and even has guest bloggers post during the challenge. I not only get to make quilts for someone, I get to learn a lot too.  :-) 

This year, there are six charities from which to choose, so I'm sure there is at least one that speaks to you. If you sign up now through the 28th, you'll be entered into a giveaway that will be announced on Sunday, the 29th. 

I'll post my progress and pictures as I make my quilts, and I hope to see yours as well. Sarah has check in dates where you can link up and show your progress. These link ups are one of my favorite things about being a part of this. I always get inspired by the quilts I see posted. 

Check out Sarah's post to sign up and get all the specifics.  

Color Challenge - March

Welcome to the next installment of the Color Challenge.

The March color is orange and the bird is the Oriole. 

For the block pattern and instructions, jump on over to 

Jen's Blog - Patterns by Jen. 

I have to admit that orange is not a color that I use very often - except for Halloween projects. 
I'm not really sure why I don't use it much, but after making these blocks, I think I need to change that. :-) 

Just look how stunning the Oriole is. 
The colors are so vibrant and striking!

You can enjoy the beautiful song of the Oriole in your own yard by cutting oranges in half and hanging them from trees or use special Oriole feeders filled with sugar water. You can even put out small amount of jelly to attract them. Planting bright fruits and nectar-bearing flowers like raspberries, crab apples, and trumpet vines, can attract the birds back to your yard year after year. 

In looking through quilt pictures, I did manage to find a few projects in which I used orange. 

I'm kind of surprised at what I found.

Of course there are the obligatory Halloween projects.

And then there are others in which the orange "just worked."

Sonoma - Camilla Quilts

I Heart You - Then Came June

Compass Points - Tamarinis

And sometimes, you just need a touch of orange to pull it all together.

Where My Heart Is - Tamarinis

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Let's take a look at this month's color challenge block. 

Go to Jen's blog for the instructions. 

Here are my fabrics. 

(Remember that I am making two blocks - 

one with a black background and one with a white background; and I am using batiks for my colored prints.)

I really like this fabric that I bought at 

Once Upon a Quilt in Ft. Lauderdale.  

If you are ever in the area, be sure to stop by the shop. It is well worth the trip.

All of my pieces are cut and ready to sew.

The units are ready

And just like that, I have two blocks made!

Remember, go to Jen's blog to find the instructions on making this block. 

Be sure to check out the bloggers for this month. 

I find it fun to see all the different fabrics being used each month. 

Patterns by Jen

Ali & CC

Dragonfly's Quilting Design Studio

Pamela Quilts

Sweet Boater Chick

Anja Quilts

And of course, don't forget about the chance to win lots of prizes!

Got to Jen's Blog to see the first quarter sponsors.

Color It Red - My Turn

It's My Turn!

I am excited to be a part of this Hop! Thanks for all the organizing Carol, and for inviting me to join you. 

Be sure to check out all of today's participants and their wonderful creations. The list, with links, is at the bottom of my post. 

I started with these fabrics and had high hopes for a wonderfully fun quilt. The plan was to have at least one square from each of my red stash fabrics in this quilt so I could use the finished project as both my blog hop quilt and my inventory quilt. 

Sadly, this is the status of that project - packed up and put into time out until I can get it to play nice and look like the quilt that's in my head. 😒

When I packed up this quilt on Feb. 5th, I realized that I had scramble to come up with a project to show for this hop and that I can always figure out what to do for my inventory quilt later. So I went with Plan B - finish a UFO! I had already made this fun top, but had not quilted it.

I put it up on the design wall, trying to decide how I wanted to quilt it and it didn't take long to decide that simple straight line quilting was the answer. 

I quilted a line straight through the middle of each the 1" strips and am very happy with that choice. 

The next question was on how to bind this. I was going to go "safe" and simply use scraps of red, but my husband Jack was not thrilled with that idea. He wanted a completely different (and stark) color, so I started pulling fabric. When I pulled out this blue, he said he liked it, but it wasn't quite right. When I suggested the red flange, we knew we had a winner!

If you've read my blog much, you know that I love to take pictures of quilts from an angle. So here they are.  :-)

I hung the quilt on the shop to get pictures and left it up, knowing that Lynn and family would be stopping by. I thought it would be fun for the kids to see it.

It took a little organization, but Ty got the kids ready for a picture.

They like the quilt and I love this picture!

Of course I couldn't just finish the Love quilt and call it done for this hop!

I still wanted to make this project as an inventory quilt, so I got to thinking about what I wanted to do. In the mean time, the clock was ticking. Inspiration struck when I saw a Modern Fans quilt by Suzy Quilts. 

I went back to my stash and cut a rectangle of each my reds (I had to cut a few duplicates), and started playing around. 

I auditioned quite a few options for the solid colored blocks and was thrilled to find this aqua in my stash. I think it's perfect!

Here are the obligatory side views...

Simple quilting works for me.

And of course I need a picture from the back.

Did you see the little touch of red on the bottom right side?

I wanted to add something special to the binding. I like it!

I put my label on the back, at the same spot. 

Taking quilt pictures is always "interesting" for me, especially in the cold weather. I always struggle to find a place to hang the quilts, especially to change up the background. About a year ago, I stumbled upon a blog post (I can't remember the blog though, which makes me sad!) about taking fun quilt pictures. I was surprised to read that she uses Scotch Rough Surface painters tape. I skeptically tried it and was pleasantly surprised.

It is especially wonderful when it's not too cold; but it works great most of the time. I think it looks kind of funny though. :-)  

Check out the rest of today's bloggers. They have some awesome projects to share.

February 19^th

MooseStash Quilting

Quilted Delights

Everyone Deserves a Quilt - This is ME! :-)

Storied Quilts

Just Sew Quilter

Kathy’s Quilts

Just Because Quilts

Words & Stitches

Scrapdash